India Met Department (IMD) has extended the watch for a depression as a causative well-marked low-pressure area put itself on a slow burn over South-East Bay of Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood. In fact, the system moved away further from Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu yesterday, with global models locating it a little more than 1,000 km East of Colombo, Sri Lanka, this morning.

Moves further away

Satellite pictures reveal that compared to its yesterday's coordinates, the well-marked 'low' is farther out into the sea from Sri Lanka/Tamil Nadu by approximately 400 km. This is being attributed to the strong westerly flows to its southern flanks, boosted further by flows being directed to another circulation (over East Equatorial Indian Ocean) immediately to its South.

But the expectation is that the well-marked 'low' would gather strength and intensify as a depression either during the remainder of today or by tomorrow. Once it settles into a north-west track eyeing the Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh coasts, it would go on to become a deep depression (next only to a cyclone) over the subsequent three days.

Alongside, the deep depression would move towards the South Andhra Pradesh and adjoining North Tamil Nadu coasts, but the IMD has not taken a call on whether a cyclone is there for the asking. But the wind warning put out by it at gale wind speeds of 60- to 70 km/hr and gusting to 80 km/h on Saturday and Sunday tend to suggest that the system could indeed ramp up to a cyclone.

Rain outlook upgraded

The rainfall warning has accordingly been upgraded from 'heavy' to 'heavy to very heavy' for South Coastal Andhra Pradesh and North Tamil Nadu. The IMD has forecast rainfall at most places with heavy to very heavy falls at isolated places on both Saturday and Sunday along these coasts.

Squally winds speed reaching up to 55 km/hr and gusting to 65 km/hr are likely to commence over South Coastal Andhra Pradesh and North Tamil Nadu from Saturday itself. Fishermen, who are out into deep the seas over South-West and adjoining West-Central Bay, have been advised to return to coast latest by Friday.

Gale wind speed reaching 60-70 kmph and gusting to 80 kmph have been warned over these seas on both Saturday and Sunday with sea condition becoming 'very rough' to 'high' (wave heights of up to 30 ft). Extended forecasts for Monday to Wednesday (December 17 to 19) says isolated to scattered rainfall is likely over Peninsular India while being scattered to fairly widespread over Central and East India.

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